All I Ask of You

Chapter 28

I wept for hours. Erik would hold me and then go off with Daroga to fashion a plan to find Gisele. Late into the night, he returned with a note in his hands. It was a ransom note of sorts. It read: "Dearest Opera Ghost, turn yourself in and your precious offspring will be returned to your wife."

The Daroga and Erik had concluded that Raoul was behind the kidnapping. They talked for hours trying to devise a plan to rescue Gisele. Finally, Erik threw his hands up in the air, "If the safe return of my daughter requires that I turn myself in, I will! I can't stand knowing Raoul has her."

"Erik, no! I can't lose you!" I whimpered.

"You and Gisele should not suffer because of my sins."

"Christine..." I said quietly as an idea came to mind, "Do Raoul and Christine have children?"

Erik nodded, "A son."

"Maybe I can persuade her. She's a mother after all. She must realize how I feel in all of this."

The Daroga was standing in the doorway when Erik began to protest, "My friend, I think Caroline has the best idea so far. I shall try to contact Christine with your blessing."

Erik looked at me and sighed, "If you must."

Finally, a little while later the Daroga came into the nursery where I sat staring at an empty crib, "Caroline, come. Christine will be meeting us over on the bridge in thirty minutes."

We raced to the bridge and Christine sat on the edge. I went and sat down next to her.

After a minute of silence, she said, "Gisele is okay." The tears that I thought had dried began to fall again. She put her arm around me, "I'm sorry. Raoul is so obsessed with the Opera Ghost. I'm sorry for all of it."

"I just want my daughter back. I'm sure as a mother you understand."

She nodded.

"And the Opera Ghost is my husband. We were going to leave. He had no no intention of coming after you and your husband. Christine, I know you love your Angel. Please help us."

"I couldn't imagine the Opera Ghost being a father. Tell me, is he kind to you?"

"Very much so."

"Will you take care of him?"

"Yes. I adore him. He is everything to me."

"Raoul is not a vicious man," Christine said, "He's tormented by the past."

"Gisele is not part of the past, nor am I. Christine," I grabbed her hands, "I will do whatever it takes. Money, a promise that we'll leave... have him name his price. I need Gisele and Erik."

"Erik?"

"The phantom bears a name. He is simply a man. No better or worse than your Raoul."

Something clicked inside Christine's head and she nodded, "You shall have your Gisele back. I will see to it."